


The Turn in the Road

by wearethewitches



Series: Tides of Fate [1]
Category: Fate: The Winx Saga (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Empath, Feels, Fix-It, Gen, Homesickness, Mind Fairy Powers, Tea, Teacher-Student Relationship, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:56:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearethewitches/pseuds/wearethewitches
Summary: Farah Dowling is contemplating peace when Bloom comes knocking on her door.
Relationships: Bloom & Farah Dowling
Series: Tides of Fate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180013
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	The Turn in the Road

Alfea was quiet. Farah looked out onto the grounds, absent of anyone or anything, wondering if she was going to get a moment of peace tonight. It would be the first time since the summer, though that was only if she didn’t include any of the Harvey twins or Sky’s exploits. What was it they did at midsummer again—set fire to the greenhouse?

No, Farah reminded herself, that happened the first day after the students went home last year. On midsummer, Faunus had liberated their father’s stash of elf wine and Faunus, Flora and Sky had all gotten horrendously drunk. According to Saul, Sky had thrown up all over his revision work the next morning. That was what they three adults got for leaving the younger trio alone on a high holiday.

Taking a long drag of her Earl Grey, Farah let some of the barriers around her mind lower, not expecting for a familiar presence to ping on her proverbial radar just outside the antechamber to her office. Farah paused, knowing that her peace was already disrupted, readying herself for anything. She could feel the distress wafting off Bloom like a bad smell. Farah set her tea aside, back cracking as she stood.

Bloom was hesitating. Even as Farah moved to her office door, she could feel Bloom’s hesitance overcoming her not insignificant distress, guilt rippling through her. Farah imagined that her student was wondering if Farah was the right person to come to, in answer to which she only increased her pace, determined to catch her before she slipped away. Considering Bloom’s history, it was a miracle she even trusted Farah with her worries at all and Farah refused to let her down.

Exiting her office, Farah caught sight of Bloom just around the corner, the antechamber door already open and waiting for Bloom to step through. The red-headed girl widened her eyes at the sight of Farah in her dressing gown, hair falling around her face. Certainly, she was less professional than she would have liked to be in front of a student—but maybe this was what Bloom needed. Even now, Farah could feel her hesitance fading.

‘Ms Dowling?’

‘Bloom,’ Farah greeted her, noting the faint fascination that briefly reared its head. More than likely, it was due to the faint sheen of white magic in Farah’s eyes, indicative of her powers. ‘Do you need something?’

Hesitance. ‘No. I mean, not really—I’m sorry, I should just go.’

‘No, it’s alright,’ Farah reached out briefly with her hand, inviting Bloom inside. When Bloom stepped forwards, she smiled and gestured to her office. ‘Tea? We can talk about whatever’s bothering you.’

‘O-okay.’

‘Come on,’ Farah encouraged. Guiding Bloom into her main office, she led her, rather than to the chairs by the window, to the sofa instead. She did take a brief detour to collect her tea-set, though.

Once Bloom was settled, Farah sat down beside her, allowing Bloom to make her own choices as to what drink she preferred. While usually she would have a whole pot of one tea or the other, tonight it was just hot water and disposable tea-bags inside little paper packets. She even had coffee, which she hoped Bloom had the sense not to have this late at night.

Luckily, it seemed as though Bloom was in a honey-lemon mood and soon they were situated on the sofa together in very casual positions, Bloom with her feet drawn up on the sofa. Farah could hardly blame her—they _were_ in their pyjamas.

‘I miss California,’ said Bloom, eventually. She sipped her tea with two hands, looking anywhere and always at Farah, gaze darting between her face and the room. ‘I’ve never been away from home so long, not- not like this.’

‘It’s normal to feel home-sick.’ Farah consoled her. ‘You’re far away from the familiar, sharing a suite with strangers and learning things that would have seemed unreal to you a year ago.’

‘I know,’ Bloom replied, ‘I just…it’s hard.’

Farah placed her tea down on the side-table, leaning in. ‘Bloom,’ she caught her eyes, feeling her sudden depressive dip and the rising stress that accompanied it. ‘You can feel these things. You can let go.’

‘I can’t _let go,’_ Bloom said, almost scornfully. Farah knew why, but that didn’t mean she had to like it or ignore what her powers told her—that Bloom was upset to a level that would have meant tears on any other person her age Farah knew.

She hesitated to cross that line she’d set with Bloom, though. This changeling girl who needed help, with whom Farah couldn’t afford to be close to, not like with Stella or Flora. Bloom was an unknown.

_Bloom was a child._

Her instincts warred against each other, but eventually Farah gave in, reaching out to place her hand on Bloom’s shoulder, thumb rubbing a circle on her collar. Bloom swallowed nervously, then put her tea down in a quick, decisive movement. A moment later, arms were around her. Farah nearly froze, but no matter how quick Bloom’s decision, Farah’s gifts were precise and she knew something was coming.

That didn’t mean she expected a hug.

Shuddering, Bloom kept her arms wrapped around her and gave Farah the moment she needed to collect herself, embracing her in return, nose resting against her auburn hair. She smelt like cherry. Slowly, Farah closed her eyes and adjusted her barriers, giving Bloom her privacy, no matter the intimacy of their touch. This close, it would only take a tiny mistake for Farah to read a thought she didn’t mean to.

‘I want to go home.’

Bloom whispered, but Farah heard her. Slowly, the hug ended, but they still sat close together, Farah’s arms loosely enclosed around the girl. Their eyes met and the sheer vulnerability Bloom radiated was strong enough that Farah could tell without her powers just how much Bloom questioned her place in their world, wondering if she was good enough.

Murmuring right back, assuring her, Farah said, ‘I know. You’ll still want to go home tomorrow and the day after, and the day after…but in time, you’ll come to realise where exactly you want to be, truly. Whether that is Alfea or the mortal world. Know that Alfea will always welcome you, whether as a student or as a lost fairy needing a home. You don’t have to decide now.’

‘Alfea will always welcome me—but what about you?’ Bloom beseeched and Farah could tell it was a test, though it somehow still surprised her that Bloom would want _her_.

‘If you need me, I am here,’ she promised plainly, sincerely. ‘Day and night.’

Bloom searched her face, looking for truth and Farah showed it. She meant every word she said. If Bloom needed her, she would be there. Even if she didn’t know why—even if Bloom had done something unforgiveable. Farah would be the mentor Rosalind wasn’t, teach Bloom the _right_ path and in time, she would tell Bloom the truth about everything, about Rosalind and the things they had done and why they had imprisoned Rosalind in the first place.

But for now, all Farah did was give her promise and mean it.

‘All you have to do is ask,’ she said, before Bloom smiled tremulously and gave her another impromptu hug. It was warm.

In that embrace, Farah found her moment of peace.

**Author's Note:**

> I watched Fate: Winx Saga and went, Huh. That was a Bit Off. So, the worldbuilding/fix-it/alternate canon tags are because I'm changing certain plot and character details, ex. Terra and Sam are now Flora and Faunus, but other stuff will be discussed in other fics.
> 
> Enjoy and leave a comment asking about anything you want!


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